Ratchet lever



Il' lllll IIIIIIIIIIIIII N. F; MCNAUGHT ET AL RATCHET LEVER Filed July:5, 195o -Jgly 26, 1932.

Patented July 26, 1932 narran As'rpa'rafs ILLINOIS PATE-Nr camice NORRISF. MCNAUGHT AND EDWARD H. PETERSON, O F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,` ASSIGNORS TODURO METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY.; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORORATION OFRATcrIE'rA LEVER Application ledJuly 3, 1930. Serial'No. 465,635r

The present invention relates to ratchet levers, and is particularlyconcerned with ratchet levers adapted to be used as wrenches.

One of the objects of the present invention "f5, is the provision of animproved ratchet lever of particularly simple and economicalconstruction, which is capable of manufacture in large volume at a lowcost.

Another object is the provision of an improved ratchet lever having animproved form of supporting body capable ofy being constructed ofordinary stock materials with a minimum of machining operations, andhaving an improved form of pawl which may be constructed of high gradematerials, with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

Another object is the provision of an improved ratchet lever which issturdy, simple, economical, has a minimum of moving parts, and which iscapable of withstanding a greater amount of hard usage and abuse thanthe devices of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ratchetlever, all parts l of which may be made of the best materials,

such as tool steel, with a minimum amount of machine operations, therebyproviding a ratchet lever of high quality at a cost which is within thereach of a vast number of purchasers. e

Another object is the provision of an improved ratchet lever of greaterstrength than the devices of the prior art, by virtue of the arrangementand organization of its part and the provision yof pawl and ratchetengagement utilizing a greater number of teeth.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawing in which similarcharacters ofreference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the single sheet of drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan view of theratchet lever with `one of the cover plates partially broken away toshow the internal mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view in partial section on the plane of theline 2-2 of Fig." 1; view of a modified form of Fig. 3 is a plan pawl;

`Fig. Liis a lplan view of anothermodified form of pawl; V

Fig. '5 'is a sectional view` through the ratchet member taken on theplane of the line 5*-'5 of Fig. 1. f

Referring to Figs. A1. and 2, the ratchet lever or wrench, which isindicated in itsentirety by the numeral 10, preferably ,includesr a bodymember or handle 11, a vratchet memy ber 12, and a pawl 13. Therotatable ratchet member 12 may consist of any form ofr wrench,including members having projecting wrench formations as distinguishedfrom the socket kvtype of wrench formationillustrated, and kthe presentembodiment .consists of .a round metallic member having a plurality ofteethl located on its periphery, and having a non-circular socket 15axially located in its body. It should be understood that. while thesocket 15 is shown as a square socket, any form of wrench socket, suchas hexagonal or other forms may also be employed. V i

different forms, but are preferably provided with side surfaces 16, 17-of substantially the The-teeth 14C may take any. of a number 'of sameslope kso as to make the same ratchet member adaptable for use inconstructing ratchet levers of ak number of different types, y

and to eliminate any necessity for particular attention in assemblingthe ratchet lever Vwith the pawl to assure the arrangement of the teethin the proper direction. LThe pres,-

enttype of ratchet member may be inserted i .into its socket with eitherside forming the top, since the teeth are symmetrically shaped. Theratchet member 412 isV preferably formed with `relatively flat surfaces18 at` each 'end guiding a complementary non-circular part into thesocket 15.

rlie body 11 may be formed of a bar of stock material of any shape, butit is preferably provided with a handle or grip formed with a relativelythin web 2G which joins a pair of bordering transverse flanges 27, 28.The iveb 26 may have an aperture 29 for use in hanging up the ratchetlever, and the formation of the handle 25 with the relatively thin Web26 greatly decreases the iv ight of the finished Wrench, While thetransverse flanges 2T and 28 give increased bearing or gripping surfacefor t-he h and of the operator.

The handle 25 is preferably provided with a head of greater thickness asat 30 formed with recess 31 for receiving the cover plates 21 and 22flush with the faces 30 of the head. The Width of the head 30 is alsopreferably increased to provide sufficient space for ratchet head 12Without weakening the structure of the head 30, but it should beunderstood that many of the advantages of the invention may be realizedwithout providing a body of the speciiic shape illustrated.

The head 30 is preferably formed Wit-h a plurality of transverse bores33, 34 for providing socketsy or recesses for receiving the operativemechanism of the ratchet lever. The bores 32, 33, 34 are locatedsutiiciently close to each other, so that they communicate with eachother through the apertures 35, 36, so that the parts located in onebore may project into another bore and cooperate with the mechanismlocated therein. Since the recesses or sockets for the mechanism may bemade in the shape of ordinary bores, it Will be evident that thesesockets may be very readily formed and/or inished by ordinary tools.

The `first bore 32 is of suftieientsize to receive the ratchetmember12,the teeth of which project into the second bore 33 forengagement With the paivl 13. The paivl 13 preferably consists of asolid metal member made of tool steel or other high grade material andprovided With a cylindrical formation or surface 39. which issubstantially complementary to the inner cylindrical surface of the bore34.

The pawl 13 of the present embodiment is formed With an outwardlyprojecting arm 44 extending into bore 33 and through the opening 19 intoengagement with the teeth 14 of ratchet member 12. rShe opening 36between bores 33 and 34 is of sutlicient vvidth relative to the Width ofthe arm 44 at this point so as to permit a limited rotative movement ofthe pavvl 13, sutlicient to permit the paivl to engage teeth 14 or to bedisengaged therefrom. The pawl 13 is preferably provided with upper andlower iat surfaces 37, 38 adapted to slidably engage the inside surfacesof the cover plates 21 and 22, and a spring 42 is tensioned between theside 41 of payvl 13 and the side Wall of the bore 33, urging the paWl 13into ratchet engaging position.

The present paivl may be provided with a single tooth 45 of a shapecomplen'ientary to the spaces between the teeth 14 on the ratchet member12, or the paivl may be provided with tivo or more teeth 45 as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. rlhe sides 43, 47 of each of the teeth 45 are alsopreferably,- of substantially the saine slope or angularity, and theteeth are so arranged that when a plurality of teeth 45 are employed asin Fig, 1, all of the teeth engage the complementary teeth 14 on ratchetmember 12 simultaneously.

lVhen a single tooth is employed upon the paivl 13, the strength of theratchet lever is limited to the strength of its Weakest part, probablythe shearing strength of a single tooth on the ratchet member 12. rl`hestrength of a single tooth may be made sutlicient for most practicalpurposes, since the present paWl and ratchet member have teeth ofsubstantial length, almost equal to the distance between the plates 21,22. rEhe breaking strength of the ratchet lever may.r however, begreatly increased by providing a 'llilrality of simultaneously engagingteeth 45, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby bringing more than one tooth ofthe ratchet member into play and eliminating any possibility of breakageof the ratchet teeth.

The thickness or depth of the pawl 13 isY preferably slightly less thanthe-thickness of the head 30 to provide suiiicient clearance between thepaWl and cover 'plates 21 and 22, so that the paivl may move freelyWithout binding although the cover plates are securely fastened to head30. T he thickness of the ratchet member 12 between the iiat surfaces 1Sis also less than the thickness of the head 30 in order to permit freerotation of the ratchet member as Well.

The side cover plates 21 and 22 constitute means for rotatably retainingthe ratchet member and pavvl Within the bores 32, and the ulates 21, 22are provided with apertures or bores 20 adapted to register with theratchet. member 12 to permit access to the Wrench socket 15, and also toform bearings for the journals 19 of the ratchet .incinber 12. rlh'ecover plates 21, 22 may be secured to t-he body 11 by a plurality ofrivets 48 passing through the head 30 and plates 21, 22, provided with ahead or riveted over outside of each plate, or any convenient form ofdevice for securing the plates on the body may be employed. Y

t should be noted that the bore 34 is disposed toward one side out ofalignment With the line of centers between the bores 32 and 33 in orderthat the pawl 13 may bo so supported that the pawl 13 will be camnledout of engagement With the teeth 14 by rotative movement of the ratchet12 in one direction and drawn into engagement with the teeth 14 byrotative movement in the opposite direction.

The operation of the present ratchet lever is as follows:

When the ratchet member 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig.A1, the side surfaces 16 of the teeth 14 cam against the side surfaces46 of the teeth 45 on pawl 13, moving the pawl 13 in a counterclockwisedirection against the tension of spring 42, and permitting rotation ofthe ratchet member 12 in this direction.

However, rotation of the ratchet member 12 in the opposite directiontends to draw the teeth 45 into closer engagement with the teeth 14, andthe pawl 13 is maintained in ratchet engaging position by the spring 42.y

The ratchet lever may be utilized for righthand or left-hand rotation bymerely revers ing the lever upon the part to which it is applied.

The parts of the present ratchet lever are peculiarly simple, and theyare adapted to be manufactured with a minimum amount of machineoperations, although all of theparts may be constructed of the best toolsteel, thereby 'constructing a ratchet lever of higher quality andgreater durability at a minimum cost.

The provision of the body member with round sockets for receiving theratchet member, pawl and spring also simplifies the manufacture of thebody of the wrench, and the f present construction is more durable andless apt to get out of order than the devices of the prior art, onaccount of the enlarged bearing surfaces which are provided for all ofthe moving parts. i

While we have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of ourinvention, many modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention, and we do not wish to b-e limited to theprecise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changeswithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a ratchet lever the combination of a supporting body comprising ametal bar having a plurality of transverse circular bores extendingthrough said body and having a pair of metal plates for enclosing saidbores, said plates having apertures forming bearings for a ratchetmember, said ratchet member having trunnions in said bearings andlocated in the iirst of said bores, said bores communicating with eachother, apawl comprising an elongated member formed with a substantiallycylindrical knob, said pawl inember having its body located in thesecond of said bores, and having said knob located in the third of saidbores, the third of said bores having i-ts walls extending about saidknob over morethan half the periphery of said cylindrical knob to retainsaid pawl member` in place, and a compression coil spring located in thesecond of said bores engaging the wall of said second bores and engagingthe body i of said pawl member to urge said pawl to resilient engagementwithy said ratchet mem- .e

ber, saidratchet member being provided with a plurality of substantiallyequally vspaced end, said bar having a plurality of transverse circularbores extending from one flat surface to the other and saidcircularbores overlapping eacli other andy communicating with each other, thefirstV and largest of said bores forming a chamber for a ratchet member,a ratchet member having la noncircular aperture extending through thesame and having a plurality of teeth about its periphery, axiallyprojecting trunnions on each side of said ratchet member, plates carriedby the metal bar engaging said fiat surfaces on each lside of said barand means for securing said plates to said bar, saidplates havingapertures for. rotatably receiving the trunnions on said ratchet member,the second vof said bores forming a spring and pawl chamber, the thirdof said bores forming a circular socket for a complementary memberformed on a pavvl, a pawl having one end rotatably mounted in the saidthird bore and having a pluralityof teeth for simultaneously engagingthe teeth on said ratchet member, and

a spring compressed between the wall of said second bore andthe side ofsaid ratchet urgingsaid pawl into engagement with said ratchet member. Y

In witness whereof wehereunto subscribe our names this 28th day of June,1930. y

NORRIS F. MGNAUGHT. EDVARD H. PETERSON.`

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